Will the Church Survive?

Will the Church Survive? I see the church as an unfinished work; it is a work upon which the chisel of its own membership should move. Yet, it is not the constant hand of its own constituency, but the hand of Christendom's longtime enemy, that shapes the church. I will not address the fact that democracy permits such antagonism beneath the guise of freedom, but, our very society seems to chip away at the church. We are awash in the spirit of anti-church antagonism. People of all walks are swooning before the persistent propaganda of the anti-church spirit. Repeatedly, it chips at the outer facade of the church; it weakens the walls and foundations. Make no mistake, it is an aggression tantamount to war. When the institution has been chiseled away, will the attacks cease? They most certainly will not. The chisel will then be turned upon the individual rights of those within. Is equality really the issue, or is that just another guise for the enemy of the church? Who fights this onslaught? Who is on the front lines? When the enemy took away the strength of public prayer, what did the church take from the enemy? They took nothing in return; they gave the other cheek. The church appears content to sit back and watch. Of course, these things do not fall like an avalanche. Something small is taken, time passes; it all seems commonplace. Then something else is chipped away, more time passes and no one seems to see the bigger picture. I am not only writing about the larger issues such as the Pledge of Allegiance, public prayer, and the Ten Commandments. I also write of the smaller matters such as the airport Christmas tree, and the issue of saying Merry Christmas in stores. I live in Sioux City, Iowa. It is an out of the way mid-sized mid-western town. I see the problem not only at a national level but also here at a local level. Years ago, the local elders banned the playing of church music through loudspeakers that were set up on the outer walls. On the other hand, the city customarily permits rock-n-roll to be played publicly and loudly. Such events are held several times a year in this town and are loud enough to be heard in the suburbs. I ask, then, why was not the matter made equal by the taking away of rock-n-roll music? I can only guess that there are no Christian strongholds in government. If nonreligious people are allowed to lobby for nonreligious causes, then should not the religious lobby in the same government for religious causes? Recently, Sioux City attacked the church again. Now, churches are only permitted one church sign, and that must be ( as I understand it ) on their front, or street-facing wall. Churches retaining signs on their lawns will now be fined fifty dollars. How ridiculous is the concept of property ownership? Why should we pay such high property taxes if we are not allowed complete, true ownership? I cannot imagine what may come, but I assure you that such things will continue until Christians stand up and fight back. Will the church survive? That depends on you the churchgoer.